Ball – Macedonian jersey and initials lead to diplomatic conflict (Macedonia)

Ball - Macedonian jersey and initials lead to diplomatic conflict (Macedonia)

Greek Foreign Minister, Nikos Dendias, sent a letter on Sunday to his counterpart from North Macedonia, Bujar Osmani, asking this team to change the equipment and the abbreviation used, in implementation of the Prespa Agreement, in which the name of the Republic of Macedonia was changed. The former Yugoslavia.

Dendias points out that North Macedonia cannot use the abbreviation MKD, but NM (Northern Macedonia) or RNM (Republic of North Macedonia), as stipulated by Lake Prespa, mediated by the United Nations, and ratified by the governments of both countries in February 2019.

In addition to being a country in the former Yugoslavia, Macedonia is also the name of the neighboring Greek region that includes the city of Salonica and an ancient kingdom, even before the birth of Christ. About two million Greeks call themselves Macedonians. The Republic of Macedonia was also now accused of appropriating ancient symbols of Greek culture, such as the Sun of Virginia and Alexander the Great, and of promoting the concept of a united Macedonia, which involved territorial disputes in Greece, Bulgaria, Albania and Serbia.

Meanwhile, Greek Sports Minister Lefteris Avgenakis sent another letter on Saturday to UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin, asking him to intervene for the same reason.

By Melody Gross

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